


Always Together

by farbsturz



Category: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Happy Ending, Link feels conflicted, M/M, Ravio is a werewolf but doesn't know yet, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), hunter!Link, werewolf!Ravio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farbsturz/pseuds/farbsturz
Summary: Link is a monster hunter out on his monthly quest to keep his village safe. This time, however, he is confronted by a wolf that is just all too familiar to him.
Relationships: Link & Ravio (Legend of Zelda), Link/Ravio (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 94





	Always Together

The life of a college student was a stressful one. You had to juggle term papers, tests, homeworks, and presentations with both the late night shifts of your side job and the inevitable realization that nothing you did would actually get you a job at the end. Life was pain and all that kinda stuff. 

Checking his bag one more time, Link mentally went through his monthly list of items in alphabetical order. It was a tradition by now and even though nothing was ever missing, it had become somewhat of a habit he enjoyed to indulge himself in before heading out. Zelda had told him how important it was to have a steady routine of a sorts. Something about it bringing luck or whatever. 

Not like Link believed in luck. 

The student downed the rest of his energy drink and grimaced at the way too sweet taste of whatever he had gotten this time. The clock read 07:03pm and it was time for him to head out. 

Truly, the life of a college student was a stressful one... 

...Especially if your side job consisted of hunting overgrown wolves for no payment whatsoever.

* * *

Walking through the empty streets of Hateno, Link busied himself with kicking his small companion over the concrete sidewalk. He had encountered the small pebble two streets ago and after lovingly naming it Rocky, the student had kicked it along his way. Needless to say their newfound friendship was a little bit strained because of this. 

“—e going?” 

The student was pulled out of his kicking practice when sudden voices caught up to him. Link furrowed his brows and lifted his head in order to look for the sources and he quickly noticed a small group of three guys standing underneath a street lamp, ganging up on a poor soul who was clutching a bag to his chest. With a start Link realized who was being cornered and he abandoned Rocky without hesitation. 

“Please, I-I don’t want any trouble, gentlemen. I already apologized for bumping into you, sir, it won’t happen again so please…” 

Ravio’s voice was barely audible but the student still felt the anger rise within him upon hearing the fear in those spoken words. He clutched his hands into fists when he saw one of the older guys stepping forward, slamming a hand into the wall right next to his friend’s head. Ravio whimpered and flinched back, only causing the other two dudes to laugh. 

Goddess, Link hated bullies.

Crossing the street, the student tapped the shoulder of the guy closest to Ravio. The man made the mistake of turning around and without missing a beat Link punched the bully straight into the face, effectively throwing him onto his back. The moment of surprise was only short lived as the second man reached for his collar but Link easily grabbed the arm and used the guy’s own weight to throw him over his shoulder, knocking all air out of his lungs. He glared at the remaining bully who took a hesitant step back but Link wouldn’t show mercy to such a piece of shit. The student closed the distance and kicked the man off his feet, pushing him onto his back before stepping onto his ribcage. Not enough to actually break anything, the pressure was still enough of a warning. The three bullies stared at him with wild eyes but Link only bared his teeth as a low growl escaped him. Taking Ravio’s hand into his own, the student began to drag his best friend away from the scene. He was walking quickly and the other had problems catching up but Link couldn’t slow down just yet. 

If he stayed any longer he would actually make them regret ever picking Ravio as their victim. 

“Mr. Hero, w-wait!”

Only when Ravio spoke up did he finally slow down and a moment later the hand in his moved to intertwine their fingers. The hatred and anger in his chest made room for a familiar warmth and with a small sigh the hunter allowed himself to relax. 

His friend was okay. This time he had managed to step in before Ravio could get hurt.

“How come you are always at the right place at the right time?” the art student asked with a grin and Link’s eyes wandered towards that adorable tooth gap of his friend. He simply shrugged his shoulders but a smaller smile appeared on his lips as his hand was squeezed. 

“If I didn’t know any better, Mr. Hero, I would say you are following me.”

The dark haired boy closed the distance and nudged their noses together in a form of affection, his green eyes softening greatly. Link knew just how important the reassurance of a touch was to his friend and he allowed the art student to hold onto him, grounding himself in the knowledge that they were both okay. Ravio may be a walking waterfall of words but his friend needed the contact as much as he did. 

“Thank you, Link. Really. If it wasn’t for you I would have ended up in bruises… _again._ I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” 

And these words were spoken with so much honesty and affection that the student found himself speaking up before the anxiety could catch up with him.

“Al...ways... frien..ds...”

His voice sounded hoarse and rough even to his own ears and Link flinched back when his friend stared at him with wide eyes. His throat immediately tightened up and he pulled his hand back in order to touch it, trying to get himself to relax. Heart pounding, the student grimaced and was about to turn away when cold fingers reached for his cheek. He was forced to look at his friend and a moment later Ravio pulled his hand away, slowly starting to sign with a soft smile.

_“Breathe with me.”_

The art student took a deep breath and looked at him expectantly. It took him several fearful seconds but Link finally managed to fill his lungs with air and after a few repetitions his throat began to loosen up. His anxiety got tamed by a cold hand on his neck and a moment later Ravio rested their foreheads together.

“Would you look at that, Mr. Hero, you’re a professional when it comes to breathing. Must have gotten some practice, hm?”

Smiling at the admittedly horrible attempt of humor, Link simply snorted and pushed his friend away so he could sign.

_“It’s second nature at this point.”_

Ravio grinned and for a moment Link allowed himself to enjoy the presence of his friend. Their shared time however was cut short when the clang of the local church bells echoed through the empty streets, and with horror the student realized that he had wasted way too much time. A quick glance at his clock only confirmed his fear. 

It was 07:45pm.

He had 15 minutes until the moon would rise. 

_“I need to go.”_

Link didn’t wait for an answer as he began to sprint into the direction of the local forest. For several full moons now something had been tearing wild animals apart and with each passing month the thing was slowly getting closer to the village. 

Goddess, just why had he allowed himself to get distracted today out of all days? To make it only worse he heard familiar footsteps running after him and even though he knew that the art student was usually horrible when it came to sports, somehow Ravio had chosen this evening to keep up with him.

“Link, wait! What’s wrong?!”

The concern in that usual cheerful voice tore at his heart but the hunter didn’t have time to stop and sign. He carefully tested his voice but the moment his throat tightened uncomfortably, Link quickly abandoned the idea of speaking up. 

He reached the entrance to the forest and once again glanced at his clock. 

07:51pm.

“Link!”

Ravio came to a stop behind him, hands on his knees and breath uneven. Link was surprised upon noticing just how much his friend was trembling, seeing as how it hadn’t been that long of a sprint. He abandoned that thought in favor of more pressing matters. 

He couldn’t allow himself to get any more distracted.

_“Go home, Ravio. Now.”_

Signing with as much authority as he could muster, Link tried to convey his seriousness with his eyes. His friend looked at him with surprised sorrow and the hunter hated every second. He wanted to tell the other that he wasn’t abandoning him, that he would never in his life get annoyed by his presence but there was simply no time. 

Ravio pulled his head between his shoulders, already appearing so much smaller.

“Link… The forest is dangerous, didn’t you hear? Some kind of animal is going rampage… Please, let’s just go home and watch a movie or something… I don’t want to be here, it’s scary.”

The art student reached for his hand and Link was too frozen in place to pull away. Cold fingers wrapped around his wrist and when those endless green eyes looked at him pleadingly he was almost tempted to just abandon everything and leave with his friend.

Almost. 

Pulling his hand away, Link shook his head. He forced his eyes to turn cold and even though his heart was crying, the hunter forced the words out.

_“Go home. I can’t have you around me tonight.”_

Without waiting for a reaction Link turned away and entered the dark forest. He ran and ran until the lights of the village were nowhere to be seen anymore and after wiping a tear away, the hunter kneeled down to look through his bag. He found his lantern and attached it to his belt before grabbing the bow and quiver. Sure, other hunters preferred more modern weapons but Link felt most comfortable with the traditional ones. It didn’t feel fair to fight with a gun against an animal, no matter its supernatural origin.

Taking several deep breaths, the hunter willed his heart to calm down. He closed his eyes and focused solely on his hearing. He knew what the clock had read.

07:56pm.

The ocean of leaves was quietly dancing with the whispering wind and Link moved his head to the side when he could hear an owl in the distance. 

The last minutes before a full moon were always the most beautiful ones.

Sudden rustling of bushes caught his attention and the hunter pulled the bowstring back, aiming into the direction of the disturbance. The light of his lantern only revealed the figure of a person and Link lined the shot up when his eyes widened.

Goddess, Hylia must truly hate him tonight.

“What the— Don’t shoot, Mr. Hero!” Ravio squeaked and those tanned arms were quickly raised in open surrender. In the dim light of the lantern his friend looked paler than usual and Link once again noticed the trembling of the other. Lowering the bow, the hunter only bared his teeth in open displeasure. 

_“You_ are angry with me? I’m the one who’s fuming, Mr. Hero! Look what you made me do!” 

To emphasize his point, the art student twirled on his foot and showed off his simple existence. “I’m scared to the bones but somebody has to drag your stubborn butt back into the safety of the village!”

The wind around them died out and Link tensed up when he noticed just how quiet the forest had become. He turned his back to his friend and tightened his hold on his bow, scanning their surroundings for anything that shouldn’t belong.

“... Link?” 

07:59pm.

“Link, something is... wrong…” 

Hushing his friend, Link tried to focus on his hearing but the world around them held its breath. Time seemed to stand still and the hair on his arms stood up in attention. A shiver ran down his spine and the hunter bared his teeth at nothing in particular. 

“Please, I… I feel nauseous... ”

A choked scream tore through the deadly peacefulness and Link felt every fiber in his body freeze up. The sound pulled at his heart and even though it had been something he had heard countless times before, this time it was different.

Different because he had never expected to hear Ravio to be the source of that bone chilling scream.

Turning around, Link couldn’t breathe as he stared at the event unfolding in front of him. Ravio was kneeling on the ground, his arms wrapped around his chest as his clothes gave away for his growing body. Green eyes were shut close and teeth were gritted tightly as they turned sharper with each passing second. Another painful cry morphed into a howl and the art student threw himself forward, landing on his already transformed paws. Skin was slowly being covered in black fur and the creature standing in place of his best friend was trembling weakly, a soft whine leaving its sore throat as it shook the remaining clothes off its body. The giant wolf had trouble standing and it clumsily swayed for a moment before catching itself. 

Link whimpered.

This couldn’t be happening. There was no way that Ravio, kind hearted and eccentric Ravio, was the monster he was looking for. Something was horribly wrong and whatever greater force had messed up should hurry up and fix its mistake. So many people existed who deserved a destiny as cruel as this one but not Ravio. 

Never Ravio.

Taking a step back, the hunter winced when the wolf’s head suddenly snapped into his direction. Glowing green glared at him and the beast bared its fangs, its ears already back as it lowered itself. Link had seen this position often enough to know that the wolf was preparing itself to pounce at him and yet his legs refused to move. The boy lifted his trembling hands to sign but the monster growled in warning, its eyes cold and analyzing. 

His body screamed at him to do something, to quickly line a shot up and end the showdown right here. Link had fought dozens of werewolves before and he knew that only one party would come out as the winner. It was either the nature defying creature that shouldn’t exist or the human that had sworn to protect his kind. Up to this point it had been as easy as that, a simple fight between good and evil, and Link had never hesitated before. He wasn’t called the Goddess blessed hunter for nothing. 

But maybe tonight his winning streak would end once and for all. 

Because he couldn’t fight his best friend. He couldn’t fight the boy who had befriended him in elementary school and who had spent years perfecting sign language just to communicate with him. He couldn’t fight the one person who had made him feel comfortable and safe enough to speak. No one but Ravio had ever heard his wavering voice and the memory of his friend breaking down into tears when he had first spoken up was one of the fondest experiences that he held close in his heart. 

Link could never fight his friend. 

Taking a shaking breath, the hunter slowly lowered himself to the ground. He could see that the beast watched his every movement but for whatever reason it hadn’t attacked him yet. It was unusual for a werewolf not to attack him right away, they usually smelled his intentions from miles away and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. But the beast, no, _Ravio_ stayed in his spot, fangs bared but unmoving.

He didn’t want to hope. 

Once Link was low enough he placed the bow down and stood up again. His hands were raised in surrender and when he kicked the weapon away with his foot, the wolf jumped to life. Before Link could react he already found himself being thrown onto the ground, his back painfully colliding with the uneven terrain. A strangled groan escaped him as his vision exploded into white spots and the pain throbbing through the back of his head only worsened the feeling of nausea and disorientation. He tried to push himself back onto his arms but a heavy paw pressed onto his chest, effectively pinning him to the ground. Blue eyes widened in fear and the hunter whimpered when more weight came to rest on his body. If the wolf continued anymore it would surely break a rib or two. 

Spiteful green eyes tore into his very soul and Link could do little to fight back. He leaned his head away as the creature bared its teeth again and hot saliva dripped down onto his throat, already teasing him with the bite that was most likely going to follow. Blue desperately scanned the surroundings for any weapon and the hunter’s logical thoughts were drowned out by the instincts of survival. His hand blindly reached around and his eyes fell onto the bow that was just out of his reach. Link tried to stretch his arm but a moment later another paw ended up on his limb and the student screamed in pain. 

The wolf stopped in its tracks. 

Blinking the tears away, Link breathed heavily through his nose as he gritted his teeth. His fingers twitched uselessly but the hunter knew that his arm wasn’t broken yet. It hurt like shit and a deafening noise rang through his ears but Link was still alive. 

But why?

He forced his attention back towards the giant wolf that had pinned him down. Black fur melted into the surrounding darkness and it was a terrifying sight to only see glowing eyes and white fangs focused on him. The wolf’s hot breath brushed over his neck and he could see how those nostrils filled with the scent of its prey and yet Ravio remained where he was.

Blue eyes widened in realization.

The wolf hadn’t taken initiative at all. Throughout this short and pathetic fight he had only ever reacted to Link’s actions. He was playing the passive role in this whole encounter. 

Ravio was waiting for him to decide how this night would end for them.

Swallowing thickly, Link knew that he was about to do something foolish. He was about to allow himself to hope. Years of training and studies had taught him that these creatures were mindless killers, that they only existed to kill, feed, and spread like a plague. And Link had believed every story he had been told. But how could he believe the tales of long forgotten generations if a living and breathing exception was towering right above him? If those beasts were truly what everyone had thought them to be then why was he still alive? His scent and equipment screamed of his profession, any other werewolf would have already torn him apart. So why not Ravio?

There was only one way to find out.

The hunter lifted his free hand though stopped when the creature growled, the paw on his chest applying just a little more weight in warning. He nodded weakly but continued to slowly move until his hand was next to the wolf’s head. Link made sure that it never left its peripheral vision and the student nervously licked his lips.

“Fr…” 

Grimacing at the pain in his throat, Link whined when the anxiety threatened to take over. His whole body was prepared to die, his heart racing and here he was, trying to force himself to speak. His useless attempt at breathing got caught in his throat but he forced the panic down. He couldn’t lose what little control he still had over himself. 

Pleading blue eyes met cold green but there was no hint of recognition. Whereas Ravio could read him like an open book this wolf didn’t seem to understand what he was trying to convey. The little speck of hope was strangled by his anxiety and he found himself falling apart. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he hiccuped as his trembling hand moved away from the wolf’s head and down to his own throat. It was getting impossible to breathe.

He didn’t want to die.

He didn’t want Ravio to die. 

A low whine tore through the darkness of his despair and Link whimpered when the wolf leaned down. He tried to squirm away, flinched back when thick fur touched his skin but the student was too weak to fight back. The realization of their situation had an iron grip on his mind and even though his body wanted to kick and scratch and fight, his head was incapable of giving such commands. Link was a pathetic excuse of a fighter and he squinted his eyes shut as he sobbed quietly, awaiting the pain of fangs tearing through his skin. 

He didn’t expect a hot tongue licking over his throat. 

His heart stopped and Link’s eyes snapped back open, staring unseeing into the darkness of the night. The whine returned and there was another lick as the wolf continued to focus on his throat. A cold nose nudged against his chin and the action was so unexpected that he took a shaking breath. The wolf, seemingly satisfied, leaned back again and Link could do little but look into green eyes. Ravio had stopped baring his fangs and instead his ears stood up, twitching with each breath he took. 

His hand was badly shaking as he once again moved it towards the wolf’s head and Link watched in disbelief as the creature leaned heavily into the touch, effectively pushing his arm all the way back down. Green eyes stared in confusion and a moment later the wolf whined. 

Link blinked. 

Once.

Twice.

Hesitating, the hunter lifted his arm again and returned his hand to the soft fur. A low sound rumbled from the depths of the animal’s body but the student understood that it wasn’t a growl of anger but content instead. A light breeze hit his leg and Link realized with a start that the wolf was wagging its tail. 

Huh. 

When the paw stepped off his arm Link slowly lifted the sore limb as well. The action made him whimper in pain but he pushed through in order to hold onto the wolf’s head with both hands. He stared into deep green eyes and Link allowed himself to drown in the hidden affection he had always felt for his partner but had never voiced to this day.

“Always… friends…”

His voice was barely a whisper but the wolf’s ears twitched anyway. A moment later a warmth was pressed into his neck and the creature lifted its leg from his chest, finally allowing him to move freely. Link wrapped his arms around his friend’s head and held him close as he trembled with both relief and disbelief. He cried into black fur and clung onto the creature but his friend didn’t seem to mind. His collarbone was licked in silent worry though Link could do nothing but hug the other closer, not daring to let go just yet.

Several minutes passed in which Link simply let himself be comforted by the oversized and clumsy puppy on top of him. The wolf whined when it was gently pushed away but the hunter had had enough of laying on the dirty ground. He moved to sit against a tree and not a moment later the wolf laid down next to him, its head in his lap. It was obvious what his friend demanded of him and with an exhausted snort Link ran his hand through the soft fur. He leaned his head back and looked up at the full moon and its accompanying stars. His legs began to fall asleep under the heavy weight of the wolf but the student didn’t care. 

“Always…” he mumbled and Ravio’s ears twitched. He was rewarded with a wet nose nudging against his hand and Link could almost fool himself into believing that this was his friend’s way of confirming their old promise from all those years ago. 

They would always be together. 

* * *

Groaning when the first sunbeams broke through the crown of leaves, Link whimpered at the pain in his back. His neck felt sore from falling asleep in such an uncomfortable position and he whimpered when one bone after another cracked in silent punishment. The hunter rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes and he was about to move when a soft snore reached his ears. The events of last night finally caught up to him and Link forgot all about his drowsiness as his eyes moved down to his lap. 

Ravio was still sound asleep. The boy had snuggled up to him throughout the night and tanned arms were wrapped around his waist as his friend’s head was laying on his lap. He looked quite content in his sleep and Link would have allowed him to rest some more if it wasn’t for the obvious lack of clothes. A familiar heat creeped up his shoulders and the student quickly averted his gaze as he shook the other awake. Ravio mumbled in protest but after a moment or two he finally pushed himself up, a hand rubbing his sleepy eyes. Link felt his heart squeeze at the adorable sight but now that he was free to move the hunter already began to slip out of his jacket.

“Mr. Hero? What you doin in my room?” Ravio yawned and the hunter couldn’t resist the affection blooming in his chest. Resting a hand onto his friend’s neck, Link pulled him closer in order to place a lingering kiss onto the other’s forehead. He nudged their noses together and focused on his unconditional affection for his best friend in order to say the word he held most dear.

“Always.”

Green eyes widened and Ravio stared at him with a mixture of confusion and happiness. His friend was about to speak up but only a squeak escaped Ravio as he finally realized the situation they were in. Grinning widely, Link offered his jacket and the other tore it out of his hands in order to cover himself up. Ravio looked absolutely endearing with that full body flush and the hunter snorted in amusement. 

“You owe me a damn explanation.” the art student mumbled but Link simply nudged their noses together. 

They would be okay. 

After all, they would always be together.

**Author's Note:**

> This was requested by my dear partner and beta reader [mildlycuriousdragon!](https://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com/) I might write more for this little AU, explore future full moons with both of them working together. We'll see!
> 
> [ Click here to see some art drawn by mildlycuriousdragon for this oneshot!](https://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com/post/633541685440380928/doodles-i-made-of-farbsturzs-fic-always-together)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> here is my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)


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